British (English) Scientific name Category Breeding Comments
vernacular name
1 Mute Swan Cygnus olor B Common resident in Orkney, seen flying past the wood.
2 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus B Winter resident in Orkney, groups seen flying past the wood.
3 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus B Seen regularly on passage in autumn with flocks feeding in the fields below the wood.
4 Greylag Goose Anser anser B Common resident and migrant in Orkney with flocks feeding in the fields below the wood.
5 Snow Goose Anser caerulescens B Rare visitor. A group of seven were around the area in 2008.
6 Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis B Uncommon but regular on the other side of Blows Moss.
7 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna B Summer resident in Orkney and seen flying past the wood.
8 Wigeon Anas penelope B Breeds in places around Orkney but mainly seen here in winter on Blows Moss or flying past - a large group gathers in Windwick.
9 Teal Anas crecca B Seen occasionally in Blows Moss or flooded fields in autumn/winter
10 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos A Y Common resident, seen on the burn with young.
11 Eider Somateria mollissima B Common resident, seen flying past the wood.
12 Quail Coturnix coturnix B One heard calling in a field next to the woods.
13 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus A Introduced resident breeding species seen in numbers in the fields and occasionally in the wood.
14 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata B Summer resident in Orkney and seen flying past the wood.
15 Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen flying past the wood occasionally.
16 Gannet Morus bassanus B Breeds on Westray and a common passage migrant and can be seen flying past the wood occasionally.
17 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo B Common breeding bird and can be seen flying past the wood occasionally.
18 Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis B Common breeding bird and can be seen flying past the wood occasionally.
19 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea B Mostly seen in autumn either flying over or in Blows Moss.
20 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus B One record of a bird hunting over the fields adjoining the wood.
21 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus A Breeding visitor seen regularly - almost daily in autumn - hunting over the fields adjoining the wood.
22 Goshawk Accipiter gentilis B One record of a bird flying over the fields adjoining the wood.
23 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus A Y Common visitor, hunting in the wood and has nested.
24 Buzzard Buteo buteo A Seen flying past the wood and regular in the wood in some years.
25 Osprey Pandion haliaetus B One record of a bird flying over the fields adjoining the wood.
26 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus B Occasionally seen hunting over the the fields adjoining the wood.
27 Merlin Falco columbarius B Occasionally seen flying past the wood.
28 Hobby Falco subbuteo B Rare autumn visitor hunting swallows.
29 Peregrine  Falco peregrinus B Breeds in the vicinity and seen fairly regularly flying over the wood.
30 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus B Heard regularly calling from Blows Moss.
31 Corncrake Crex crex B A male was calling from Windwick in 2011 and could be heard from the woods.
32 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus B Common in Blows Moss and can be heard calling. Occasionally visits the pools in the burn.
33 Coot Fulica atra B Can be seen in Blows Moss.
34 Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis B Extremely rare vagrant. Seen in 2009, the third British record of the species.
35 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus B Very common in the fields adjoining the wood.
36 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula B Occasionally seen and heard flying over the wood.
37 Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria B In autumn, can be seen (sometimes in large numbers) flying over the wood or in the surrounding fields.
38 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus B Very common in the fields adjoining the wood.
39 Snipe Gallinago gallinago A Very common in the fields adjoining the wood.
40 Woodcock Scolopax rusticola A Autumn migrant which roosts in the wood with up to ten or more birds present at times.
41 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa B One record of a bird flying over the fields adjoining the wood.
42 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus B Regularly heard on passage flying over and sometimes seen in adjoining fields
43 Curlew Numenius arquata B Very common in the fields adjoining the wood.
44 Greenshank Tringa nebularia B One or more birds heard and seen on migration.
45 Redshank Tringa totanus B Common in the fields adjoining the wood and in Blows Moss.
46 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola B Uncommon migrant. One seen and heard flying over in 2013.
47 Turnstone Arenaria interpres B Birds occasionally fly over.
48 Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus B Summer visitor to Orkney, occasionally seen flying past the wood.
49 Great Skua Stercorarius skua B Summer visitor to Orkney, regularly seen flying past the wood.
50 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla B Summer visitor to Orkney, occasionally seen flying past the wood.
51 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus B Summer visitor to Orkney, breeding in Blows Moss.
52 Common Gull Larus canus B Summer visitor to Orkney, breeding in Blows Moss.
53 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus B Summer visitor to Orkney, occasionally seen flying past the wood.
54 Herring Gull Larus argentatus B Regularly seen flying past and in the fields adjoining the wood.
55 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus B Regularly seen flying past and in the fields adjoining the wood.
56 Little Tern Sternula albifrons B Rare breeding visitor to Orkney and seen flying over on one occasion.
57 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis B Summer visitor to Orkney, regularly seen flying past the wood.
58 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea B Summer visitor to Orkney, occasionally seen flying past the wood.
59 Guillemot Uria aalge B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen and heard from the wood.
60 Razorbill Alca torda B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen and heard from the wood.
61 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle B Seen occasionally from the wood.
62 Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon Columba livia B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen regularly over the wood and in the adjoining fields.
63 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus A Migrants roost regularly in the wood, especially in autumn. May have attempted to breed
64 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto A Y Two pairs are present and nest in the wood.
65 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus B A migrant seen (and heard) occasionally around the wood.
66 Barn Owl Tyto alba A Rare migrant. One seen and photographed in the wood in 2013
67 Long-eared Owl Asio otus A A migrant seen occasionally in the wood.
68 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus B Breeds in the vicinity and seen fairly regularly hunting over the fields adjoining the wood.
69 Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus A One record of a bird in the woods in 2012.
70 Swift Apus apus B Uncommon migrant seen flying over.
71 Wryneck Jynx torquilla A Rare migrant seen in the wood on a few occasions.
72 Great-Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major A Uncommon irruptive species. Two seen and one trapped in 2013.
73 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio A Uncommon migrant but one or two seen almost annually.
74 Jackdaw Corvus monedula B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen daily in the surrounding fields.
75 Rook Corvus frugilegus B Seen regularly but not in great numbers in the surrounding fields.
76 Carrion Crow Corvus corone B One or two seen regularly in company with the Hooded Crows.
77 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix A Y Common resident in the area and has bred in the wood.
78 Raven Corvus corax B Breeds on the cliffs and can be seen regularly.
79 Goldcrest Regulus regulus A Y Common migrant and has been proved to breed - only the second site in Orkney for breeding.
80 Coal Tit Periparus ater A Rare in Orkney and only seen on one occasion.
81 Skylark Alauda arvensis B Common breeding and migrant bird in the fields adjoining the wood.
82 Sand Martin Riparia riparia B Occasionally seen flying over in autumn.
83 Swallow Hirundo rustica B Summer visitor which breeds in the vicinity, regularly seen flying over the wood.
84 House Martin Delichon urbicum B Summer visitor, regularly seen flying over the wood.
85 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus A Rare in Orkney, a flock of six was in the wood in 2012.
86 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus A Uncommon migrant but one or two seen almost annually.
87 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix A Rare migrant seen on one occasion.
88 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita A Common migrant, especially in autumn.
89 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus A Common migrant, especially in autumn.
90 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla A Common migrant, especially in autumn.
91 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin A Common migrant, especially in autumn.
92 Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria A Rare migrant seen on one occasion.
93 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca A Uncommon migrant but seen annually in small numbers.
94 Whitethroat Sylvia communis A Uncommon migrant but seen annually in small numbers.
95 Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans A Very rare vagrant with one record.
96 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia A Uncommon migrant heard singing in spring in most years.
97 Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina A Rare migrant seen in the wood on one occasion.
98 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus A Y Summer visitor and migrant which breeds in the the wood.
99 Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum A Very rare migrant. One trapped for ringing in 2013.
100 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus A Uncommon migrant seen occasionally, but annually, in autumn.
101 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus A Four seen in the woods in 2012.
102 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris A Rare in Orkney and only seen on one occasion.
103 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes A Y Very common resident which breeds in the wood.
104 Starling Sturnus vulgaris A Very common resident, augmented by migrants in autumn/winter.
105 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus A Uncommon migrant seen occasionally, but annually, in autumn.
106 Blackbird Turdus merula A Y Very common resident which breeds in the wood augmented by many migrants in autumn.
107 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris A An autumn migrant seen regularly in the wood, sometimes in large numbers.
108 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos A Y Summer visitor and migrant which breeds in the the wood.
109 Redwing Turdus iliacus A An autumn migrant seen regularly in the wood, sometimes in large numbers.
110 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus A Rare migrant in Orkney, only seen in the wood on one or two occasions.
111 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata A Migrant seen annually in small numbers.
112 Robin Erithacus rubecula A Y Common resident and passage migrant which has bred in the wood.
113 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A Rare migrant seen in the young plantation on one occasion.
114 Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca A Migrant seen annually in small numbers.
115 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus A A migrant seen regularly in the wood.
116 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra A Uncommon migrant seen occasionally in the young plantation
117 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola A Breeds locally and seen in the young plantation 
118 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe A Breeds locally and seen regularly in the young plantation and in the fields adjoining the wood.
119 Dunnock Prunella modularis A Y Summer visitor and passage migrant. Has bred in the wood.
120 House Sparrow Passer domesticus A Resident in small numbers.
121 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea B Uncommon migrant seen flying over.
122 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba A Summer visitor which breeds in the vicinity, regularly seen flying over the wood.
123 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis A Uncommon migrant found occasionally in the wood.
124 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis A Y Very common summer visitor which has bred in the young plantation.
125 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs A Seen regularly in autumn, probably as a migrant.
126 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla A Seen regularly in autumn, sometimes in reasonable numbers.
127 Greenfinch Chloris chloris A Y Resident breeding bird in small numbers.
128 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis A Rare in Orkney (but increasing). A few seen in and around the woods.
129 Siskin Carduelis spinus A Occasional winter visitor in small numbers.
130 Linnet Carduelis cannabina A Y Resident breeding bird .
131 Twite Carduelis flavirostris A Resident in the area, but seen infrequently around the wood.
132 Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret A A few migrant birds are seen each autumn.
133 Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea A A few migrant birds are seen each autumn.
134 Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera A Very rare vagrant with one record of four birds.
135 Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra A Seen most years and can be in large numbers in an irruptive year.
136 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus A Rare migrant seen on just a few occasions 
137 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula A Rare migrant seen on just a few occasions 
138 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis B Winter visitor seen occasionally flying over or in the adjoining fields.
139 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella A Rare in Orkney and just one record.
140 Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla A Very rare vagrant with one record.
141 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus A Resident which breeds in the area and reasonably common.
Legend: 
Category - "A" is actually recorded within the woodlands. "B" is seen either flying over or in the fields surrounding the woodlands
Breeding - only species proved to have bred are shown